IDOT talks rehab of a decades-old highway dream

Thursday

Aug 7, 2014 at 10:38 AM

Work on state road remains ongoing while officials wait in financial limbo

By Jackie SmithEditor

U.S. Route 67 stretching from the Quad Cities to Alton — running like an artery through McDonough County — was a transportation dream a few short decades ago, but a political action committee's meeting in Macomb this week broke down its recent fundamentals in budgets, upkeep and expansion.

Illinois Department of Transportation representatives delved into the 2014-19 proposed Transportation Improvement Program, particularly its funding schedule for improvements to U.S. 67, Illinois Route 336 and U.S. 34, for a room of local and regional community officials Tuesday. Dubbed Corridor 67, Inc.'s summer meeting, many of the brief presentations came to the same, perhaps, common conclusion.

"We need a revenue increase of some sort or some form, and I don't anticipate the federal government riding in to help us. They seem to have the same issues we do," said Charles Ingersoll, director of IDOT's Office of Planning and Programming. "On corridor 67 in the past 30 years, the department has awarded about $930 million toward the effort, which is significant. … Also there's a downside, the unfunded (area needing work) part's about 1.8 billion (dollars) left."

IDOT Region 3 engineer Kensil Garnett talked some of the specifics in bridges, needed land acquisitions, soiling and other ongoing road work around the state — some funded through Illinois Jobs Now! and some, like much of 67, left unfunded.

Then, he showed a 67 corridor map, looking past and needed work on areas of the highway first with a portion in IDOT District 4 from Alexis Road to U.S. 34 in Monmouth.

"Not a good point to start off with," Garnett said. "It's the last two-lane section of U.S. 67 from the Quad Cities to Monmouth (that needs to be) rehabilitated."

Phase two preparations for the area, he said, are underway with two contracts — one funded at $6.8 million in a multi-year program from Alexis Road to County Highway 3 and another currently unfunded at $8.6 million from Highway 3 to U.S. 34.

The following portion designated for work was 67 from U.S. 136 to north of Industry.

"The phase two engineering is about 95 percent complete, and we are waiting on construction funding," Garnett told the group. "In kind of a theme of the presentation, the land (acquisition), utilities and construction are not funded. We estimate about 105 million (dollars) for that."

Indeed, that "theme" continued amid discussion as proposed plans for other sections of state highway and a portion of U.S. 67 south of Industry bore the same burden of unfunded project costs. Both state Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, and Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, mentioned the continuous need for additional money in their brief addresses Tuesday.

Hammond reiterated many of the current infrastructure needs are in central and downstate Illinois and that funding would remain a major focus come January, and she referenced the state's hitting the five-year mark since the passing of the last capital bill, something that took a decade to get through Springfield.

"We don't have another five years, not with our infrastructure and the shape we're in now," Hammond said. "I make the comment that the 31 billion (dollars) that was included in that capital bill would be considerably higher today to do the very same projects. So when we look to the future and what the bill is going to look at, passing a mini capital bill as we did, it addressed some very small needs."

Ingersoll said the state's roadways are presently at an 82 percent acceptable rate, but that by the end of the current planning cycle, or multi-year program, it's anticipated that will drop to 62 percent.

The deteriorating conditions, he added, pose a problem, one that's been well-known as an ever-approaching onslaught of infrastructural crises that could leave the state with a never-before-seen "second-class transportation system."

The solution came full circle when Patrick Poepping, who attended Tuesday's meeting along with other members of the Tri-State Development Summit Steering Committee, including Macomb Mayor Mike Inman, ended the series of individuals who spoke about transportation necessities. He pointed to the happenings in other states — Iowa and Missouri — in the Tri-State Summit, which he said tracks 1,700 miles of highway, 380 miles of which are unfunded.

"The biggest unfunded highway is right here — 67," Poepping said. "It's real important to us what happens on 67."

Reach Jackie Smith via email at jsmith@McDonoughVoice.com, or follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

Communities

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The McDonough County Voice ~ 26 W. Side Square, Macomb, IL 61455 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service